


What Have We Here?

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Broken Bones, First Meetings, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Tranquilizers, sedative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 09:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: Dick and Slade's first meeting





	What Have We Here?

“Stay here,” Batman ordered before leaping off the roof and vanishing into the darkness.

Robin groaned quietly, crossing his arms over his chest and kicking the ground. “That’s not fair,” he grumbled to himself. “I’m thirteen, I’m not a kid anymore. I can handle the Joker. I’ve handled him before, why is tonight any different?”

“Well, well, well, what have we here?”

Robin jumped at the low voice, spinning around to stare across the empty rooftop. Instantly, he pulled out his bow staff and took a few steps forward, on guard.

“Who’s there?” he called, continued to scan the rooftop.

“You look lost, little birdy. Did daddy leave you out here all alone?”

The voice came from behind him and Robin turned, lashing out, only to be met with empty air.

“Show yourself!” he shouted.

A low, ominous chuckle filled the air as a tall man in black and orange strolled onto the light.

“Hello Robin,” he said, single eye twinkling behind his mask.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Oh?” the man asked, tone  _ leaking  _ with sarcasm. “Generally, when someone isn’t afraid, they don’t feel the need to announce it.”

“Who are you?”

“You’re really asking?” the man asked, chuckling. “And here I thought I was  _ dangerous _ enough to warrant Batman at least giving his sidekick my name.”

“I’m not his sidekick, I’m his  _ partner _ ,” Robin snapped, lunging forward. The man all too easily sidestepped, driving his elbow into Robin’s back and sending the acrobat sprawling across the concrete.

“My name is Deathstroke,” the man introduced, giving a mock bow as Robin got to his feet and whirled around. “And I was originally hired to take out Batman’s...what was the word you used? Partner?”

Robin felt the blood drain from his face. He’d had people  _ want  _ to kill him before but he’d never had someone hunt him down with the  _ sole intent  _ of killing him.

“Oh, there it is,” Deathstroke crooned. “The fear.” he tilted his head to the side. “You’re just a kid.”

“I’m not.”

“No, but you are,” Deathstroke mocked, slowly striding closer and forcing Robin to back away. “You’re just a little boy playing dress up in his daddy’s big boy clothes, aren’t you?”

“Batman isn’t my  _ father _ !” Robin shouted.

He can’t see Deathstroke’s face but he  _ knows  _ the man is grinning. “Isn’t he?” Deathstroke asked. “How very interesting. Do your parents know then? Where you are? Or do mommy and daddy help you pull on your little tights before throwing you out onto the streets with some strange man.” he was too close and Robin couldn’t move before Deathstroke was grabbing his chin. “Or are they dead?”

Robin snarled, kicking out. But Deathsotkr was faster, easily twisting his leg and snapping the ankle, dropping Robin to the ground as the acrobat choked on a scream.

“See, this is how I prefer my targets,” Deathstroke told him, crouching down while Robin tried to breathe through the pain. “Unable to get away.”

“You talk a lot for someone sent to kill me,” Robin snarled. “And for someone who’s supposed to be professional and the best at what he does.”

“Oh, but I am,” Deathstroke replied as he straightened up. “I just don’t take contracts on little kids who look like they should still be wearing diapers.”

Robin snarled and tried to lunge towards the mercenary but Deathstroke easily sidestepped the swipe.

“Don’t worry,” he told Robin as he pulled a syringe out of one of his belts, jamming the needle into Robin’s thigh and injecting the contents into the boy’s bloodstream. “Daddy bats will be back to collect you soon.”

Robin’s world spun as Deathstroke walked away. “What did you give me?” he slurred, vision blurring.

“Just something to help you sleep without pain,” the mercenary replied.

By the time Batman arrived, Robin was unconscious and Deathstroke was nowhere in sight.


End file.
